IWC Pilot's Watch 36
The Pilot's Watch 36 is a smaller pilot's watch produced by IWC since 2016.
Overview
The legendary IWC Mark XI aviator's watch was a "cult watch". Produced from 1948 until the early eighties, the Mark XI was never available to the public. Sensing an opportunity in the 1990s, IWC introduced a civilian version in 1993, the Mark XII. Over the following decades the watch grew larger and more complicated, with the case growing to 39 mm for the Mark XVI in 2006. That same year, IWC introduced the smallest Pilot's Watch yet, the 34 mm Pilot's Watch Midsize, but this was cancelled after just two years of production.
For 2016, IWC refreshed the Pilot's Watch as the Mark XVIII and also reintroduced the classic 36 mm Pilot's Watch size in this Pilot's Watch 36. The styling is very similar to the larger Mark XVIII but with some notable differences: Most feature a groove in the dial between the chapter ring and hour numerals, and the smaller case locates the date window exactly where the 3 would be rather than set further into the dial. The Pilot's Watch 36 also lacks the "Mark XVIII" text on the dial and comes in unique styles.
The Pilot's Watch 36 was introduced at SIHH in 2016 in five versions with grey or silver dials. Those silver models never made it to production, with other versions created instead. In total, of the eight versions introduced in that year, only two remain in production. Later additions to the collection include the 2017 "Antoine de Saint-Exupery" with its brown dial and limited-edition "The Rake & Revolution" model with a no-date green dial and ancient reindeer leather strap. The collection was refreshed in 2018 with most versions cancelled and a new black dial introduced that more closely matches the Mark XVIII.
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